Sheet-delivery apparatus for printing-presses



(N'oModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. SCOTT. SHEET DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSES. No. 439,306.

Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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(No Model.)- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. SCOTT. SHEET DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSBS.

No. 439,306. Patented 001;. 28.1890

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER SCOTT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEWV JERSEY.

SHEET-DELIVERY APPARATUS FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,306, dated October 28, 1890 Serial No. 310,133. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWALTER SCOTT, of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Method of and Mechanism for Delivering and Folding Printed Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is especially adapted to the cutting and folding of printed sheets composing the signatures for books or in cutting, folding, and delivering pamphlets and other printed matter requiring great accuracy in the cutting and folding. I make use of a cutter that perforates the paper at intervals upon the line of fold, andI employ a foldingblade having a serrated or undulating edge, the projecting portions of which correspond in position to the perforations in the paper, so that the projections upon the folding-blade pass into the perforations in the paper and accurately determine the position of the fold in the paper, and I provide a peculiar adjusting device for grasping and moving the sheet of paper to exactly the proper position beneath the folding-blade, and I combine with these devices rotary perforators that partially or entirely separate the web of paper longitudinally either before the folding operation takes place or after the folding operation, and I also provide for separating the web of paper into the proper lengths of sheet for the folding operations before mentioned.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a general diagrammatic view representing my present improvements and the connections between the same and the printing-press. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sheet in larger size, representing the lines of perforation and fold. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the paper and the line of perforations beneath the serrated edge of the folding-blade. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view in larger size of the mechanism for adjusting the paper beneath the folding-blade, and Fig. 5 is an elevation at one end of the gage and adjusting device.

L L represent the plate or type cylinders, and M M the impression-cylinders.

O O are the cutting-cylinders, and upon these cutting-cylinders there are two sets of cutters, the sets of cutters 0 being adapted to cut ofi the sheets or to perforate the paper,

leaving only sufficient intervening filaments for carrying the sheet alongbetween the belts, so that the one sheet can be separated from the other by an accelerated movement, as usual in printing-presses, upon the line Where the perforations are made by these cutters C. The cutters B upon the cylinders O O are adapted to penetrate the paper, forming incisions at intervalssay an inch long, more or less-with a corresponding imperforated portion of the paper between the incisions, as the incisions made by the cutters Bare to come upon the line of the fold made in the folding apparatus hereinafter described, and upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the cutters 0 act at the ends of the printed sheets to allow one sheet to be separated from the next, and the cutters B act at the center of the sheet, where the first fold or crease is made.

It is preferable to make use of tapes or belts 3 3 around rollers 4 and beneath the second-impression cylinder M to hold the printed paper to such impression-cylinder and to forward the printed paper to the out ting-cylinders O O, and duringthe passage of .the paper from the impression-cylinder M to the cuttingcylinders O O the paper receives a longitudinal range of perforations by the circular cutter A, and these perforations are similar to those made by the cutters B, so that such perforations are upon the line of fold or crease subsequently given to the paper in the folding mechanism. rations made by the cutter A and the cutters B weaken the paper upon the line of fold, so that the folding operation is performed more easily and accurately. As the sheet leaves the cutting-cylinders O 0 it passes between These perf0-.

the ranges of belts or tapes 5 and 6, and these pass around and against the respective taperolls. If two printed sheets are to be imposed or laid one upon the other before being passed onto the folding mechanism, an imposing-cylinder R is made useof, as seen in Fig. 1, the range of tapes or belts 5 passing over the roller D and down around the imposing-cylinder R and off to the rolls 58 1O 9 8 D 7, and the tapes 6 passing over the roll D down below the roll 10 and off to the roll 14 13 12 15 11, and there is a switch Sand guidefingers S, as in my patent No. 398,544, dated February 26, 1889, so as to cause one sheet to be wrapped around the imposing-cylinder R, and then a second sheet is imposed upon the same, and the two sheets are passed off together to the folding mechanism. If, however, the separate sheets are to be delivered to the folding mechanism, the belts are arranged as in Fig. 6, the range of tapes 5 passing around the rolls 7, 8, 9, 10, and D and being provided with atightener D, and the range of belts or tapes 6 passing around the rolls 11, 12, 13, 14, and 10, and the roll 15 i may be made use of as a tightener, and the range of tapes or belts 16 pass around the rolls 2 14 18 and are provided with a tightener 19, and the range of tapes or belts 17 pass around the rolls 20, 21, and 13, and there is a switch at 22, by which the sheets are directed first to one folder and then to the other, and it is now to be understood that as the printed and perforated sheets or web passes from the cutting-cylinders O between the rolls 7 and 11 and the ranges of tapes or belts 5 and 6 they are carried to the roll D, and at such roll the tapes or belts nip the sheet, and if they have an accelerated velocity such ranges of belts pull one sheet off the web at the line of perforation made by the cutters O and forward such sheet to the folding mechanism, such sheet passing around below the roll and up between the belts 6 and 16, over the roller 14 to one folder, and the next sheet passes beneath the roll 10 and along upon the range of tapes or belts 5 and over the roll 9 to the second folding mechanism, and it is to be understood that the folding devices hereinafter described as acting with the sheet of paper that passes along over the roller 14 are duplicated and act upon sheets of paper passing along upon the tapes or belts 5 and over the roller 9.

I will now describe the devices for adj usting the position of the paper and for accurately folding the same.

P P represent the first pair of folding-rolls, and above these there are bridge-plates 23 24, the bridge-plate 23 extending from the roll 18 to the roll P and the bridge-plate 24 being above the roll P and connected with the range of bars 25, so that the sheet as it is forwarded by the action of the ranges of belts or tapes 6 and 16, as they pass over the roll 14, isIorwarded along upon the range of tapes 16 to the roller 18 and from there passes upon the bridge-plate 23 and then upon the bridgeplate 24 and then upon the range of bars 25, and during this operation the sheet is below the tapes or belts 17; but the roll 13 is suiticiently above the tapes or belts 16 not to press against such tapes or belts. Hence the sheet is left comparatively loose and free as soon as the rear ends thereof pass along above the roll 14, and the momentum of the sheet is easily arrested, and I make use of the devices hereinafter described for moving the sheet along to bring the perforations made by the cutters B accurately beneath the folding blade H.

Upon the cross-shaft 28 are arms 29, having between them a cross-shaft 30 with gripper-fingers 31. These gripperfingers are closed by a spring and held open by a latch 33, which may be of any desired character. One of these arms 29 is projected upwardly and acted upon by a spring and a cam J, so that the arms and grippers receive a slight oscillating movement, and the range of bars is supported at this end by a cross-bar 34, and adjacent thereto is a fence or gage F on a bar 36 between the arms 29, and the gripper-fingers 31 extend beyond the gage or fence F, so that when the front end of the sheet is arrested by the gage F the fingers 31 can be closed thereon and hold the sheet against the bar 36.

To open and close the gripper-fingers, any usual mechanism may be made use of. I have shown a screw 40, passing througha stationary bracket, for opening the fingers as the arm 41 from the gripper-shaft comes in contact with such screw upon the backward movement given by the cam J, and I have shown a screw 42 through the arm 43 for acting against the latch 33 to unlatch the gripper-fingers at the extreme movement in the other direction to allow such gripper-fin gers to close upon the sheet and grasp the same. It will be understood that the sheet as it lies between the ranges of tapes or belts 16 and 17 and upon the bars 25 is not confined, but can be carried down in the middle by the folding-blade H between the pair of rolls P P; but to insure the complete movement of the sheet up to the gage or fence F I make use of the roll G above the range 17 of tapes or belts, such roll G being upon arms from a rock-shaft 45 and acted upon at the proper time by the cam I so that such roll G presses the range of tapes 17 downwardly upon the sheet, in order that the ranges of belts 16 and 17 may continue to forward thesheet until its advancing end reaches the gage F, at which time the roll G is raised by the cam I, and the belts 17 by their tension rising from contact with the sheet leave such sheet against the gage F, and at this moment the gage F and arms 29, by the action of the spring and cam J, are moving slightly toward the sheet, and the screw 42 immediately unlatches thegrippers and allows them to close upon the sheet, and then the camJ gives motion to the arms 29 in the opposite direction, drawing the sheet along gradually until the perforations made by the cutters B are direct-ly beneath the serrations in the foldingblade H, at which moment the arm 41 on the gripper-shaft comes into contact with the screw 40 and the grippers open, leavingthe sheet in position for the folding-blade H to act upon the same, and I remark that at this time it is preferable for the serrations of the folding-plate H to be in contact with the surface of the paper to slightly depress IOO such paper immediately adjoining the slits in such paper, so that the sheet will be held by such serrations in its exact position to be folded by the movement of the blade H. If the roll G is made in sections acting between the tapes to press the sheet down upon the roll G, a slight tension will be applied to the sheet by the movement of the gripperfingers after they have grasped the sheet. In this instance the sheet will be drawn out smooth and flat, in consequence of the power derived from the tension of the sheet as it is drawn along between and gives motion to the rollers G G and the inclined edges of the serrations adjust the sheet transversely atthe same time that the fold is made. This fold- I ing-blade H may be moved by any suitable means. I have represented the cam J as made use of for this purpose, and I remark that the folding-blade H, made use of for folding the second sheet, can be connected with and receive its motion at the same time as the blade H, because the second. sheet cut from the web has a less distance to'travel and will be in proper position for folding beneath the blade l-I simultaneously with the first sheet beneath the folding-blade H. The sheet as itpasses down between the first pair of folding-rolls PP is carried by the ranges of tapes or belts 50 and 51, the range of belts 50 passing around the roll P and rolls 52 53 54: and the range of belts 51 passing around the roll P, 55, 56, and 57, and, if desired, at this point the sheet may receive a second transverse fold by the blade H acting upon the same and carrying the sheet down between the rollers 57 and 60, and the belts 51 will carry the folded sheet along below the third folder or creaser H to be carried down between the folding-rolls H and delivered into the trough I as usual, and where the sheet is to be divided longitudinally the circular cutter K is set sufficiently close ,to the roll 60 to cut entirely through the paper; but where the transverse fold is to be made at this line the circular cutter K, having upon its periphery penetrating-points, is set so as only to perforate the paper upon the line of the folding-blade H If the cutter K entirely separates the sheet longitudinally, there will be two folding-blades H to fold the sheet at the lines 65, Fig. 2.

I have not represented the mechanism made use of in connection with the folding-blade H or for acting upon the second sheet-delivery upon the range 9 of belts to such foldingblade H, because the devices before described in connection with the folding-blade H and the sheet after it has been folded thereby are simply duplicated.

Any suitable gearing may be made use of for connecting and driving the respective parts. I have, however, indicated in the diagram a driving-shaft at 70, with a gear between the gears upon the cutting-cylinder O and the impression-cylinder M ,and upon the shaft of the impression-cylinder M is a bevelgear gearing to a similar wheel 71 upon the shaft 72, and there are bevel-gears at 73 upon the other end of shaft 72 and a train of gearwheels giving motion to the shaft 75 and 74, upon which the cams I, J, and J are placed, and there is a train of gearing from the gearwheel upon the cutting-cylinder O to drive the roll D with an accelerated movement, and also to drive the roll 10 and the ranges of belts therewith connected. The gearing, however, may be varied, according to the arrangement of parts in the printing-press and the direction in which the sheets are carried to the folding and delivery mechanism. The cutter or cutters that perforate the web longitudinally may be upon the cylinder 0 or O and placed in the proper position in rela tion to the pages of printed matter on the web of paper. The sheets may be entirely separated from the web by the cutters O, the diameter of the cylinders O and 0 being in proportion to the type-cylinder, so as to cut the sheets of the proper size and perforate the paper transversely of the Web on thelines where the folds are to be made, and the circular cutter or cutters A perforate or separate the web longitudinally to prepare the same for the folders, as the folds will be more accurate than heretofore, because the cutters and perforators act directly upon the paper as it passes away from the impression-cylinder 1/ I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a machine for delivering and folding sheets from a web, of a cutter for nearly separating the sheet from the web by a transverse range of perforations, a cutter for perforating the sheet transversely upon the line of fold, mechanism for separating the sheet from the web by an accelerated movement and for moving the sheet, a serrated folding-blade, the edge of which is in contact with the sheet and the serrations of which correspond with the perforations in the paper, so that the sheet is arrested against the serrations of the folding-blade, and means for moving such folding-blade and forming a fold upon the line of perforations, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a sheet adjusting and folding mechanism, of a folding-blade, a gage and mechanism for carrying the sheet along automatically and bringing its advancing end against the gage or fence, grippers for seizing the end of the sheet, means for moving the gage, the grippers, and the sheet gradually until the sheet arrives at the proper position under the folding-blade, and means for opening the grippers to allow the sheet to remain quiescent for the foldingblade to act upon the same, substantially as set forth. I

3. The combination, in a sheet adjusting and folding mechanism, of a folder and tapes or belts to convey the sheet to the folding mechanism, means for relieving the pressure of one set of tapes upon the sheet, so

that such tapes or belts cease to act thereon, grippers for grasping the sheet, and means for moving such sheet and grippers and for opening the grippers to drop the sheet when in position for the action of the folding mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. The method herein specified of accurately folding printed sheets, consisting in perforating the sheets on the lines of folds, moving such sheets along to the position for being folded, and adjusting the sheet laterally by passing the blade having inclined-edged serrations into the perforations of the paper and folding the same by passing the paper be tween folding-rolls, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a Web printing and folding machine, of perforators for nearly separating the Web at the ends of the sheet,perforators acting on the line of the fold, and a folding-blade having projections corresponding with the perforations, so as to enter the openings in the paper and insure accuracy in the fold, substantially as specified.

6. In a folding mechanism, the combination, with the conveying belts or tapes, of a gage for the end of the sheet, grippers to move and adjust such sheet, and means for moving and opening the grippers and for folding the sheet, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, in a sheet delivery and folding mechanism, of perforators to act upon the web at the lines of fold, and a foldingblade having serrations with inclined edges corresponding to the perforations, so as to ad just the sheet laterally by the folding-b1ade, substantially as specified.

8. The combination,with the belts for conveying the sheet, of a press-roll, a gage and grippers, and means for moving the same to adjust the sheet and open and close the grippers, and mechanism acting on the sheet to fold the same, substantially as specified.

9. The combination,with the folding mechanism and the rock-shaft and arms, of a gage and grippers carried by the arms, and adjustable gripper-opening devices for adjusting the sheet in relation to the folder, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 3d day of May, 1889.

WALTER SCOTT. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. Morr. 

